Laurier football names its Players of the Week

The Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks announced today the football players of the week for Week 1 of the season and they include quarterback Eric Morelli on offence, defensive back Malcolm Thompson on defence, and returner Carson Ouellette on special teams.

The Laurier Football Players of the Game are recognized weekly at the Quarterback Club luncheon. This week’s luncheon will be held on Thursday, September 3 in the Hawk’s Nest and will run from noon to 1 p.m.

Moreilli made the most of his first career start as he led Golden Hawks to a season-opening win over the York Lions on Sunday. The fourth year business major completed 19 of his 28 passes for 258 yards and three touchdowns as the Hawks picked up a 38-21 victory on the road. Morelli, originally from Burlington, Ont., threw his first career touchdown pass in the first quarter when he connected with Greg Nyhof over the middle. He would later pick up his first career rushing touchdown when he scampered 27 yards to seal the victory for the purple and gold.

Getting the start in his first game as a Golden Hawk, Thompson, originally from Windsor, Ont., made an immediate impact for the purple and gold against the York Lions in Week 1. The second year sociology major finished the game with two solo and two assisted tackles but his biggest contribution came in the second quarter. After York had pulled to within a touchdown, Thompson picked off the Lions quarterback and returned the interception 60 yards for a touchdown.

Ouellette picked up right where he left off from his rookie season as he had a strong game on special teams for Laurier against the Lions. Handling punt return duties, the second year arts major recorded 90 yards on 11 returns, including a long of 25. Add that to his strong debut as a receiver, where he had three catches for 70 yards, the native of Windsor, Ont. would finish the game with 160 all-purpose yards.

The Laurier Football players of the week are presented by OneCard and the Laurier Bookstore.